Our “Temple”
Potential

Introduction:

In this letter, we shall
refer to the “Shechinah” –
the Divine Presence. The
Shechinah is the Divine
Presence which seeks to
dwell on this earth; in
fact, the root meaning of
“Shechinah” is “shochen” –
to dwell.

The Tabernacle which was
built in the Sinai
wilderness and the Holy
Temple which was built in
Jerusalem served as
sanctuaries for the
Shechinah. The Tabernacle
was known as the “Mishkan” –
Dwelling Place – a reference
to the dwelling of the
Shechinah.

Dear Friends,

We discussed various sources
which reveal that all human
beings have roots in the
site of Zion’s Temple, for
this is the place where the
human being was created.
Why, however, was the human
being created at the site of
the Temple, the Sacred
Sanctuary? I would like to
suggest that the creation of
the human being at the site
of the Temple reveals that
the human being has the
potential to become a
temple!

A source for this idea can
be found in the following
Divine statement:

They shall make a Sanctuary
for Me, so that I may dwell
within them.” (Exodus 25:8)

“I may dwell” – I will cause
My Shechinah to dwell. (Targum
Onkelos – the ancient
Aramaic translation of the
Torah)

“Within them” – The noted
Chassidic commentary,
Maor V'Shemesh, written
by Rabbi Klonimus Kalman
Halevi Epstein, explains why
the verse stresses that
Hashem will dwell within the
people. The Maor
V'Shemesh states that
through the sacred service
of the Sanctuary, the
Shechinah is to dwell within
each member of the nation of
Israel.

The Maor V'Shemesh
cites the ancient teaching
of our sages that the
Shechinah is to dwell on
this earth (Genesis Rabbah
19:7) This includes the
human body, states the
Maor V'Shemesh; thus,
the words “I will dwell
within them” come to teach
us the following truth:

“Each and every member of
Israel should view himself
as if holiness is dwelling
within his inner physical
organs.”

This awareness, explains the
Maor V'Shemesh,
should inspire us to keep
our bodies pure and holy
through dedicating all of
our limbs and organs to the
service of Hashem; moreover,
it should also inspire us to
refrain from any activity
which weakens this state of
purity and holiness.

There is a related teaching
by Rabbi Chaim Voloziner, a
noted sage and disciple of
the Vilna Gaon. He discusses
how the human being is to
become a Sanctuary for the
Shechinah through the
holistic observance of all
the mitzvos. And he finds a
reminder of this goal in the
following Divine statement
concerning the People of
Israel:

“The Sanctuary of Hashem are
they!” (Jeremiah 7:4).

The People of Israel are to
realize that they are to
become a Sanctuary of the
Shechinah! Rabbi Chaim notes
that this verse is in the
spirit of the verse where
Hashem says, “They shall
make a Sanctuary for Me, so
that I may dwell within
them” (Exodus 25:8). Rabbi
Chaim points out that the
verse does not refer to the
Shechinah dwelling in the
Sanctuary, but within the
people – “within each and
every one of them” (Nefesh
HaChayim 1:4). With this
statement, explains Rabbi
Chaim, Hashem is saying:

“Do not think that My
ultimate intention is the
construction of the
Sanctuary edifice; rather
the entire purpose in
desiring the Mishkan (the
Dwelling Place) and its
vessels is merely so that
you should infer from it how
to mold yourselves; namely
that through your deeds you
should be as desirable as
the Mishkan and its vessels
– all of you holy, fitting,
and prepared to be
receptacles for My Shechinah
in a literal sense.” (Ibid)

When we engage in the
holistic observance of all
the mitzvos, we develop our
“temple” potential. In this
way, we remind all human
beings of their “temple”
potential, for the human
being was created at the
sacred site of the Temple in
Zion.

Shalom,

Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen
(See below)

Related Teachings:

1. Regarding the creation of
the human being at the site
of the Temple, it is
written:

“With an abounding love did
the Holy One, blessed be He,
love the first human being,
as He created him in a pure
and holy locality.” (Pirkei
D'Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 12)

2. The Talmud states the
following teaching in the
name of Rabbi Elazar: “A
person should always view
himself as if the Holy One
is within his inner organs”
(Taanis 11a-b).

3. We chant the following
prayer on Monday and
Thursday mornings which
refers to the Shechinah and
the “House of our Lives” –
the Temple in Zion:

“May it be the will of our
Father Who is in Heaven to
establish the House of our
Lives and to settle His
Shechinah within us,
speedily in our days – and
let us say: Amen.”

We do not pray, “to settle
His Shechinah within the
“House of our Lives”;
instead, we pray, “to settle
His Shechinah within us!”